A scroll compressor is a type of compressor that is used to compress refrigerant for various applications, such as refrigeration, air conditioning, industrial cooling and freezer applications, and/or other applications where compressed fluid may be used. Such prior scroll compressors are known, for example, as exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,530 to Hasemann; U.S. Pat. No. 6,814,551, to Kammhoff et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,960,070 to Kammhoff et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,112,046 to Kammhoff et al., all of which are assigned to a Bitzer entity closely related to the present assignee. As the present disclosure pertains to improvements that can be implemented in these or other scroll compressor designs, the entire disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,398,530; 7,112,046; 6,814,551; and 6,960,070 are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
As is exemplified by these patents, scroll compressors conventionally include an outer housing having a scroll compressor contained therein. A scroll compressor generally includes first and second scroll compressor members. The first compressor member is typically configured to be relatively stationary and fixed in the outer housing with respect to the second scroll compressor member. The second scroll compressor member is configured to be moveable relative to the first scroll compressor member in order to compress refrigerant between respective scroll ribs which rise above the respective bases. In this configuration, the scroll ribs are configured to engage the base of the other compressor member. Conventionally, the second, or moveable, scroll compressor member is driven about an orbital path about a central axis for the purposes of compressing refrigerant, which is discharged through a discharge port at the center of the first scroll compressor member. An appropriate drive unit, typically an electric motor, is provided usually within the same housing to drive the movable scroll member.
As exemplified, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 7,112,046, the tips of the spiraling scroll ribs of the respective scroll compressor bodies may define axially extending, spiral grooves in which are situated spiral tip seals that engage upon the base of the other scroll compressor body (see e.g. FIG. 7 of the '046 patent showing a groove for the tip seal). Such tip seals provide an axial compression seal between the scroll tips of one scroll compressor body and the base of the other scroll compressor body so as to generally prevent compressed fluid leakage from an inner compression chamber which has a higher compressed state to an outer chamber defined as being on the perimeter side of the scroll rib, which has a lower compressed state.
Typically, the scroll tip seals are highly efficient and provide for very good sealing capabilities, and thereby maintain a high compression efficiency. However, as may become apparent from the application, tip seals unfortunately suffer from efficiency losses at the inner portion of the spiral scroll rib and around the terminating end of the tip seal proximate the discharge port.
The present invention is directed towards improvements over the state of the art.